By the time I get to Phoenix, you’ll be ready to abandon
this feature altogether, I reckon.
There were over 200 artists on discogs who have chosen the name Phoenix. I clicked on every one… until I lost the will to live.
These are the best of them… imagine what the worst sounded like!
PHOENIX #1
We begin with a Romanian Phoenix, originally emerging in 1962, and they appear to still be going strong… though I suspect without any of the original members. After fleeing Romania in 1965, they settled in Germany, where they became known as Transsylvania Phoenix for a while… which makes me wonder if some of the members are older than they look. They went back to Romania in 1990 after Communist rule ended.
Further investigation reveals that founding member
Nicu Covaci played with the band from 1962 until his death in 2024.
THE PHOENIX #2
A psychedelic Phoenix next, from the UK some time in the mid-60s –
reincarnated from a group known as The Scorpions, so we will have heard these guys before, I
guess.
The
Phoenix - You Are The Moon And The Stars And The Sun
THE PHOENIX #3
A Japanese Phoenix (with Western influences), rising from the ashes in 1968…
The
Phoenix
- Koisuru Ra-Ra-Ra
PHOENIX #4
Apologetic Southern Californian soft-rock types from 1969…
Phoenix
- Baby I'm Sorry (What Else Can I Say?)
PHOENIX #5
Also in 1969, in Oklahoma, a band formerly known as The
Continentals were reborn as Phoenix. Later they’d be reborn again as Harvest.
Such is the way of the Phoenix.
Phoenix
– Every Now And Then I Cry
PHOENIX #6
A Dutch Phoenix from 1971, in love with Jimi…
THE PHOENIX #7
Indonesian Phoenix from 1975. 162,000 youtube viewers cannot
be wrong.
PHOENIX #8
When Rod Argent’s eponymous band broke up in 1976, John
Verity, Bob Henrit and Jim Rodford went off on their own. They were planning on
naming their band H.R.V (Henrit, Rodford, Verity) with a marketing slogan that
went 'HRV - like a Phoenix rising from the ashes of Argent'. The record company
ran with the Phoenix metaphor, and three albums followed before they changed
their name to… Charlie.
PHOENIX #9
Another 1976 Phoenix, these guys took flight down under in
New South Wales – and yes, they were at the Star Hotel on the night of
the riot. (Don't ask me.)
Phoenix
– Something Happened To Me
PHOENIX #10
A funky Phoenix from 1977, recorded at Uncle Dirty's Sound
Machine in Kalamazoo.
PHOENIX #11
French New Wave band from 1979, looking and sounding a
little like Sparks, if you ask me.
PHOENIX #12
Proggy krautrock ensemble from 1979. The back of their album
sleeve tells us…
Phoenix
– Journey From Night To Day
PHOENIX #13
A soulful Phoenix from 1980 on Spoon River Records. Google
tells me that Spoon River is a fictional Illinois town, so maybe these guys
were a fictional band too.
PHOENIX #14
LA-based Phoenix from 1980, though the video below is from
their 1985 reunion gig where the crowds were unbelievable!
PHOENIX #15
The tube of you informs me these guys came from Camden,
New Jersey in 1982. Can’t find much about them on the web of lies, but they
have a funky sound.
Phoenix
- Live, Love, Laugh (Be Happy)
PHOENIX #16
Italian band from 1982… not much else is known.
PHOENIXX #17
Heavy Washington Phoenixx (with two xs) from sometime in the
80s…
PHOENIX #18
Fancy some schlager? I’m guessing this is from the 80s,
judging by the cover shot.
PHOENIX #19
Generic AOR from Orlando in 1988…
PHOENIX #20
Swedish metal band from 1989, clearly intent on ignoring Jon
Bon Jovi’s instructions…
There was another Swedish metal band called Phoenix from a
few years earlier, but I couldn’t find any music from them, so you’ll only have
to imagine how good they were.
PHOENIX #21
From Haslemere, Surrey, the 1990 Winners of Southsea Piers' Band of The Bands. Fortune and glory, kids.
PHENIX #22
O… no. That’s not how I’d spell, etc. A French Phenix from
1991.
I think that’s how they spell it in France.
There were also at least 8 Phenix spellings on discogs…
you’ll be sad to learn that I couldn’t (be bothered to) find music by any of
them.
PHOENIX #23
German rockers from 1992, lost in the mists of time…
Phoenix
- Do You Believe in Wonder?
PHOENIX #24
When compiling Namesakes, the first act to appear in the
discogs search is usually the biggest name with that name (forget the numbers –
that’s just who registered with discogs first). With that in mind, the most
popular Phoenix appears to be this dude: real name David Michael Farrell, the
bass player of American rock-rap pioneers, Linkin Park.
Linkin
Park (Phoenix on bass) – In The End
PHOENIX #25
PHOENIX #26
New Jersey Garage House act from the mid-90s. There were a LOT
of House acts called Phoenix, so I can only apologise if I chose these guys
rather than the one you loved.
PHOENIX #27
French symphonic metal band from 1997. The only link I could find was to their full 20 minute EP… thank me later.
PHOENIX #28
What says 1999 more than some saxxy jazz?
Nice.
THE PHOENIX #29
Bluesy rock band from some where (sic) in the USA, circa
2002…
The
Phoenix - When I Couldn't See
PHOENIX #30
You may remember David Beckham’s former PA, Dutch glamour
model Rebecca Loos, who caused quite a storm back in 2003 for reasons that have
been vehemently denied by Mr. Beckham. Ms. Loos (who is a second cousin of arch-twat
Piers Morgan, make of that what you will) traded her sacking for a media
career, appearing on Celebrity Love Island, The Farm, Extreme Celebrity Detox,
Temptation Island, The X Factor: Battle of the Stars and Celebrity SAS: Who
Dares Wins. I’m sure you watched them all.
She also recorded the following “banger” in 2008. Although
the tube of you call it her “debut”, it doesn’t appear to have been followed
up. The world weeps.
Rebecca
Loos aka Phoenix Feat. Jah Waggie - Your Boyfriend
PHOENIX #31
Norwegian singer-songwriter Marthe Borge-Lunde Pfirrmann
makes music under the name Promethea… but occasionally she’s also a Phoenix, as
heard on the collaboration below…
Xerxes
& Phoenix – First Ray Of Light
PHOENIX #32
And finally - are you still here? - some hard-rocking Italian ladies from 2016…
Which Phoenix has been reborn into your record collection - and which ones do you just want to burn?
Here's my favourite...
Blood hell Rol
ReplyDelete32!
That'll keep George out of mischief for a while!
"imagine what the worst sounded like!" we shall never know. 32 artistes today is a challenge as Mr CC said.
ReplyDelete#6 a candidate for worst of the collection. #1 in the lead. 10 down, 22 to go. They just all blend into a tedious noise, nothing memorable at all, apart from the sheer drivel of #6
ReplyDelete#12 is now in the lead; i strongly disliked #14 10 seconds into the "tun". I though #11 was more prog than new wave. Just played #21. I'm bored
Delete